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Knife Crime
14 April 2026
Lead MP
Sarah Jones
Debate Type
Ministerial Statement
Tags
Policing & ResourcesCrime & Law EnforcementJustice & Courts
Other Contributors: 30
At a Glance
Sarah Jones raised concerns about knife crime in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Government Statement
Before the announcement, Sarah Jones echoed the Home Secretary’s statement on the Southport attack. She then made a statement on the Government's plan to halve knife crime in a decade as per their manifesto commitment. This initiative aims to address a destructive cycle of fear and violence that forces young people into carrying weapons for safety, resulting in tragic losses of life. Despite progress such as bans on zombie-style knives and ninja swords, restoring neighbourhood policing, and shutting down over 2,700 county lines last year, knife crime and homicides remain significant issues with recent fatal cases noted. Since the general election, knife crime has decreased by 8% and homicides by 27%. The plan includes four key areas: supporting young people through investment in youth services and mental health support; stopping those at risk from turning to knife crime via targeted school partnerships and county lines programme; ensuring justice for victims with robust policing measures; and ending the cycle of repeat harm by strengthening the youth justice system. The minister emphasised that while individual policies are crucial, a whole-of-Government approach is necessary to build a safer future.
John Smith
Con
London
Question
The MP questioned whether the current plan provides enou [4D [K enough support to areas with the highest knife crime rates. He highlighted [K London's disproportionate share of offences and asked how the Government wo [2D [K would ensure these high-impact strategies reach communities in need.
Minister reply
Sarah Jones responded that the Government’s new k [1D [K knife crime concentrations fund will target surges in policing where knife [K crime is most prevalent, ensuring additional resources are allocated to are [3D [K areas with higher rates. This includes support for local police forces and [K violence reduction units.
Alice Green
Lab
Manchester
Question
The MP asked about the timeline for launching Young Futu [4D [K Futures hubs across high-risk areas as mentioned in the plan, emphasising t [1D [K the importance of early intervention to prevent future knife crime.
Minister reply
Sarah Jones confirmed that 50 Young Futures hubs [K will be launched by 2028 with phased rollouts starting this year. The initi [5D [K initiative aims to integrate wellbeing support and careers guidance for you [3D [K young people at risk.
Matt Vickers
Lab
Question
Halving knife crime is a welcome measure, but the Labour [6D [K Labour Government points out that while police-recorded knife-enabled crime [5D [K crime has risen post-election and London bears an outsized burden of 30% of [2D [K of all incidents despite being home to only 15% of the population. The plan [4D [K plan's Knife Crime Concentrations Fund addresses hotspots with increased po [2D [K policing but fails without sufficient stop-and-search powers and officer nu [2D [K numbers. Shadow Minister Vickers proposes tripling use of stop-and-search, [K section 60 stop-and-search in high-crime areas based on a single suspicion [K indicator, and hiring 10,000 new officers as opposed to the government’s re [2D [K reduction of 1,300 since taking power. Sentencing changes under the Sentenc [7D [K Sentencing Act 2026 allowing earlier release for knife crime offenders furt [4D [K further worry him, making him question how such plans will be effective wit [3D [K without stronger enforcement measures like custodial sentences.
Minister reply
The Minister thanks Matt Vickers for welcoming th [2D [K the target to halve knife crime and the plan’s provisions. She notes that t [1D [K those convicted of serious offences involving knives will still face prison [6D [K prison terms but highlights reforms under the Crime and Policing Bill intro [5D [K introducing a new offence of possessing a knife with intent, carrying a sev [3D [K seven-year maximum sentence, aimed at addressing juvenile possession cases [K where no action was previously taken. The Minister also points to an 18% in [2D [K increase in police numbers deployed to neighbourhoods over the past year al [2D [K alongside investments in AI and technology to enhance officer efficiency, e [1D [K emphasising focus on outcomes rather than fixed numbers of officers.
Sam Carling
Con
Question
Following a tragic stabbing incident in his constituency [12D [K constituency, Sam Carling seeks details on how the government's ambition to [2D [K to halve knife crime will impact Peterborough and Cambridgeshire. He querie [6D [K queries ongoing work understanding regional variations where knife crime tr [2D [K trends differ from national decreases.
Minister reply
The Minister extends thoughts to those affected b [1D [K by recent violence in Orton and confirms arrests made following such incide [6D [K incidents. She discusses extensive funding allocations aimed at identifying [11D [K identifying knife-crime hotspots across the country, working with local par [3D [K partners and police forces to understand specific causes and provide suppor [6D [K support for young people involved in crime while addressing regional discre [6D [K discrepancies where knife crime is increasing.
Luke Taylor
Lib Dem
Wallington and Ditton
Question
Welcomes the strategy, praises Ben Kinsella Trust's work [4D [K work, and questions whether the funding for measures is secure. Asks if the [3D [K the Government can confirm that 13,000 new police officers are not merely r [1D [K redeployed existing ones. Calls for a public health approach involving vari [4D [K various stakeholders.
Minister reply
Acknowledges the Ben Kinsella Trust's work; Home [K Office funding amounts to £130 million with cross-Government investment. Co [2D [K Confirms that 13,000 police officers include new hires, community support o [1D [K officers, and redeployed staff; technology will free up time for more front [5D [K frontline officers.
Andrew Slaughter
Lab
Hammersmith
Question
Asks if restricting sales of pointed knives to rounded-t [9D [K rounded-tip versions could limit injuries caused by domestic and impulsive [K violence.
Minister reply
Agrees that kitchen knives used in domestic and i [1D [K impulsive violence should be reconsidered; evidence supports the use of rou [3D [K rounded-end knives, and manufacturers are introducing such designs.
Julian Lewis
Con
New Forest East
Question
Asks about deterrence measures for knife crimes and sugg [4D [K suggests a campaign warning that offenders will likely be caught. Also inqu [4D [K inquires about the sale of knives online.
Minister reply
Confirms high detection rate for knife crime; tes [3D [K testing communication techniques to influence potential perpetrators. Intro [5D [K Introduces legislation on bulk purchases of knives, with police teams inves [5D [K investigating online sales.
Question
Expresses condolences over Jamie Collins' fatal stabbing [8D [K stabbing and asks how the new knife crime plan will reduce youth knife crim [4D [K crime.
Minister reply
Offers condolences to the family; actions include [7D [K include DCMS's leadership on 50 Young Futures hubs, violence reduction unit [4D [K units with £66 million funding, and support for young people in possession [K of knives.
Question
Following the Government’s consultation on knife sales, [K will the Minister reassure my constituents, the police and the public that [K the Government will put forward a knife licensing scheme?
Minister reply
We are putting in place interventions through the [3D [K the Crime and Policing Bill to strengthen age verification for knives and e [1D [K ensure online companies remove violent content. We have also consulted on a [1D [K a licensing scheme and are currently reviewing it.
Jim McMahon
Lab
Oldham West and Royton
Question
Given the overwhelming evidence of youth knife crime in [K Oldham, can Oldham be urgently considered for the Young Futures hubs progra [6D [K programme?
Minister reply
The Young Futures hubs will be located in areas m [1D [K most affected by knife crime. Greater Manchester is already investing heavi [5D [K heavily in addressing county lines and safeguarding young people.
Question
When it comes to banning zombie knives, we know that the [3D [K they account for less than 4% of all fatal stabbings. What measures are in [K place to prevent the use of kitchen knives?
Minister reply
We are putting in place interventions such as age [3D [K age verification checks and bulk purchase reporting to control knife sales. [6D [K sales. We also have a duty on social media companies to report illegal knif [4D [K knife sales.
Question
Will the Minister update the curriculum from September s [1D [K so that every child receives knife violence prevention education in school? [7D [K school?
Minister reply
There is new guidance on violence prevention for [K schools, and we are targeting 250 high-risk schools with additional support [7D [K support.
Question
Can the Minister increase stop-and-search powers of the [K Met police in London?
Minister reply
Stop and search is an important tool, but its use [3D [K use must be effective. The Mayor of London has invested more in policing th [2D [K than ever before.
Question
Will the Minister assure me that equipping young people [K with knowledge about knife crime prevention is part of our strategy and wil [3D [K will be supported in my constituency?
Minister reply
Every part of the country, including Bournemouth, [12D [K Bournemouth, will benefit from the action plan. We are making interventions [13D [K interventions across the whole country and funding for local youth hub proj [4D [K projects.
Question
While I of course welcome the statement and any attempt [K to reduce and tackle knife crime, does the Minister not agree that without [K saturation stop and search, and without immediate custody of anyone found i [1D [K in possession of a knife without a valid reason, the rest is just white noi [3D [K noise?
Minister reply
I welcome the hon. Lady’s welcoming of the statem [6D [K statement—it is appreciated. Stop and search is important but must be evide [5D [K evidence-based and targeted. We want more intelligence-led stop and search [K and multiple interventions to prevent crime from happening in the first pla [3D [K place.
Mohammad Yasin
Lab
Bedford
Question
Bedfordshire police welcomes the Government’s plan to re [2D [K refer all child knife possession cases to youth justice services. Can the M [1D [K Minister outline how the new national co-ordination unit will crack down on [2D [K on illegal online knife sales?
Minister reply
The NHS and youth workers in A&Es are playing a r [1D [K role. The National Knife Crime Centre will investigate the sale of knives o [1D [K online with £1.7 million funding to tackle illegal sales.
Question
My constituents keep telling me that they want more visi [4D [K visible local policing, but south Somerset is often overlooked. When will t [1D [K they see proper funding for more visible community policing and accessible [K youth services?
Minister reply
We have already put 3,000 more police on the stre [4D [K streets, an 18% rise from what we inherited when entering government. We be [2D [K believe that the right place for our police officers is out on our streets [K tackling everyday crime.
Battersea
Question
Will the Minister honour her predecessor’s commitment to [2D [K to visit Carney’s Community, a fantastic organisation in my constituency do [2D [K doing incredible work to deter young people from a life of violence and cri [3D [K crime?
Minister reply
I am very happy to fulfil any commitment that my [K predecessor made and would like to see what is happening in my hon. Friend' [7D [K Friend's constituency.
Question
Will the Minister set out what immediate, targeted actio [5D [K action her Department is or will be taking in areas experiencing clusters o [1D [K of knife crime, such as Dewsbury and Batley?
Minister reply
Our concentrations fund of £26 million targets ar [2D [K areas where there is a high concentration of knife crime. We are also inves [5D [K investing in neighbourhood policing and supporting children through interve [7D [K interventions in schools.
Helen Hayes
Lab
Dulwich and West Norwood
Question
What is the Minister doing as part of this strategy to e [1D [K ensure that our youth organisations can keep the lights on and do their imp [3D [K important work?
Minister reply
The funding for youth justice interventions is lo [2D [K long-term. Local authorities have now got long-term funding too, though vio [3D [K violence reduction units' funding has been just for this year.
Question
Will she commit to ensuring that grassroots organisation [12D [K organisation and those with real-life street experience are empowered to pl [2D [K play a greater role in delivering lifesaving work?
Minister reply
We will continue to support local grassroots orga [4D [K organisations through violence reduction units and other vehicles to ensure [6D [K ensure they have the impact we need.
Salford and Eccles
Question
Welcomed the Minister's comments, highlighting the issue [5D [K issue of knife crime as a public health concern linked to cuts in youth ser [3D [K services. Asked how the strategy addresses structural drivers for areas not [3D [K not receiving one of 50 Young Futures hubs and whether she can meet to disc [4D [K discuss Salford Youth Zone.
Minister reply
Acknowledged the decimation of youth services ove [3D [K over the past decade, committed to rebuilding infrastructure through variou [6D [K various initiatives including mental health support in schools and 50 youth [5D [K youth hubs. Offered to have a chat with her about what Salford youth club i [1D [K is doing.
Question
Welcomed Government’s plan to halve knife crime over the [3D [K the next decade, emphasised importance of supporting young people and youth [5D [K youth services. Asked if Government will collaborate with existing programm [8D [K programmes focusing on multi-agency partnerships.
Minister reply
Interested in work being done by Luton Youth Part [4D [K Partnership Service and willing to talk more about her partnership. Not try [3D [K trying to reinvent what is working but support existing organisations, runn [4D [K running various pilots for early intervention.
Stella Creasy
Lab
Walthamstow
Question
Paid tribute to the Minister's work and acknowledged vol [3D [K voluntary and community groups doing fantastic work in her constituency. As [2D [K Asked about confidence that school safety officers will return after being [K withdrawn.
Minister reply
Acknowledged the important role of organisations [K such as Break Tha Cycle and Street Fathers, committed to increasing neighbo [7D [K neighbourhood police officers who can go into schools.
Question
Tributed Minister's work on knife crime in Croydon. Aske [4D [K Asked how plan strengthens partnerships at local level.
Minister reply
Acknowledged the need for a whole-system approach [8D [K approach, emphasised the importance of neighbourhood policing and live faci [4D [K facial recognition technology to tackle crime.
Question
Asked about thorough case reviews when children commit s [1D [K serious crimes, in reference to a 13-year-old boy convicted of killing Kory [4D [K Kory.
Minister reply
Agreed with the need for proper reviews and under [5D [K understanding, while acknowledging that responsibility lies with Scottish G [1D [K Government and local partners.
Question
Highlighted work done by Derby in tackling knife crime i [1D [K involving joined-up response from schools, council, police and community or [2D [K organisations. Asked how the plan will strengthen these partnerships.
Minister reply
Acknowledged the need for a partnership approach, [9D [K approach, committed to reviewing the landscape of community safety partners [8D [K partnerships to ensure everyone is working towards a single goal.
Question
Asked about ways bereaved families can play their part i [1D [K in delivering the action plan.
Minister reply
Offered support through various organisations inc [3D [K including violence reduction units and local violence reduction plans, enco [4D [K encouraging community-led response.
Question
Requested more resources for frontline policing in Cleve [5D [K Cleveland due to high deprivation and severe crime prevalence. Highlighted [K 48 new police personnel joining neighbourhood roles.
Minister reply
Acknowledged the need for reforming the outdated [K police funding formula, committed to reviewing it to make it fit for purpos [6D [K purpose.
Shadow Comment
Matt Vickers
Shadow Comment
Matt Vickers thanked Sarah Jones for her statement but criticised the increase in knife-enabled crime since the election and highlighted London's disproportionate share of knife offences. He advocated for effective stop and search powers, suggesting tripling its use and implementing section 60 suspicionless stops. However, he noted that officer numbers have decreased under the current government by 1,300, a significant factor in enforcement effectiveness. Vickers also pointed out concerns about early release eligibility under the Sentencing Act 2026 for knife crime offenders, suggesting insufficient custodial sentences. While acknowledging important areas covered in the plan like education and cultural work on violence reduction units and county lines programmes, he stressed the need for stronger enforcement through appropriate prison sentences.
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